Structural and Electronic Coupling in Nanoscale Materials

Abstract

As modern electronic devices continue to shrink in size, the limitations of Si as a transistor material become increasingly imminent. To overcome these limitations, it is necessary to explore alternative materials that can be used in electronic devices that surpass the miniaturization limit of Si-based devices. In this effort, it is important to develop an understanding of how materials behave when they are reduced in size and scale down to ultra-thin structures. Here, we explore how ultra-thin dielectric materials behave differently than their bulk counterparts, experiencing chemical interactions at interfaces that can result in unexpected structures and electronic properties. By using a combination of scanning tunneling microsocopy/spectroscopy and density functional theory, we study several manifestations of distinct structural and electronic properties arising in ultra-thin materials. We extend this physical picture to understand how the properties of these films affect adsorbed nanostructures, analogous to interactions occurring in a transistor setting.